Where The True Test Lies
by FuzzySlipper19
Summary: It was on a boring summer afternoon that Jackie and Hyde decided to test out an old theory about cherry stems and kissing skills… JackiexHyde


_**A/N:**__** Hey guys! Just a little one-shot fluffy tribute to the most amazing couple in the world! :D Hope you guys like it! And also, if you have a minute, a review is greatly appreciated! Thanks! ^^**_

_**Disclaimer: **__**I do not own "That 70's Show" or any of the characters. This story is merely for entertainment purposes, and I am not getting paid in any way, shape, or form.**_

**Where The True Test Lies  
**

"I'm serious!"

"I'm _not _doing it!"

Jackie Burkhart rolled her eyes as she popped another cherry into her mouth, careful to spit the pit into a napkin.

"Steven, we've already been over this," she said. Hyde still shook his head. "It's the truetest of a good kisser."

It was a hot day in the middle of summer. Donna and Eric were out at the Star Wars Convention (much to Donna's dismay). Fez was at the candy store and Kelso was out doing who knows what.

Hyde and Jackie were relaxing in the Formans' basement, sitting on the couch with Hyde's arm draped loosely around Jackie. Mrs. Forman had kindly given them a bowl of cherries to snack on.

"Look, Jackie, that's stupid," he replied firmly. "I don't need to tie some cherry stem in my mouth to prove that I'm a good kisser. The true test lies within the actual kissing."

"Michael could tie a cherry stem with his tongue," Jackie said, raising her chin with pride. She picked up another cherry and examined it closely. Then she simply put it in her mouth and chewed carefully, silently scheming about how to convince her boyfriend to do this one little thing for her.

"Kelso would do anything you told him to," Hyde argued. Jackie sighed.

"I miss that."

"Well, get used to it, because I'm not Kelso," Hyde stated. Jackie nodded, being very glad that he wasn't Kelso. Kelso was good-looking – that she couldn't deny. But that didn't make up for his lack of intelligence and it didn't make up for the fact that he had cheated on her too many times to count.

But Hyde… Hyde may have been poor and scruffy, but he was still good-looking. In a different way obviously, Jackie knew. He was also smarter (even though it wasn't hard to be smarter than Kelso). And Jackie was certain that he really loved her.

Plus, Hyde didn't let her boss him around as easily, and in a strange way, Jackie admired that.

"Oh, why won't you?" Jackie asked, putting on her cutest face possible.

"I already told you, Jackie, it's stupid," Hyde replied. Jackie groaned loudly to express her irritation, but Hyde just ignored it.

"Steven, as your girlfriend, I am _ordering _you to tie a knot in a cherry stem with your tongue this instant," Jackie demanded, trying a different approach. Hyde got to his feet, and then he turned to face her.

"No! How many times do I have to tell you?"

And then Jackie looked up at him, making a puppy-face.

"Please?"

There was a long silence as Hyde's face softened.

"Damnit," Hyde muttered as he grabbed a cherry, ripping off the stem and putting it in his mouth. He sat back down on the couch next to Jackie as he tried to tie the knot.

Jackie smiled with accomplishment. She knew that she could win an argument against Hyde if she persevered long enough. She watched him as he tried.

-((*))-

A couple minutes passed, and Hyde was still at it, his face perfectly demonstrating his growing frustration.

"Seriously, Steven, how long does it take to tie a stupid knot with your tongue?" Jackie asked, also growing impatient.

"It's a lot harder than it looks," Hyde claimed, his words slightly difficult to understand because of the cherry stem in his mouth. "Just give me a few more minutes."

"All right," Jackie agreed, although she was pretty sure that at this point, he wouldn't be able to do it.

A few more minutes passed, and Hyde had not progressed.

"Come on, just give it up," Jackie sighed, shaking her head. "It's obvious that you're not a good kisser." Hyde spit out the cherry stem and glared at it for a couple of seconds.

"I'd like to see you try," he argued.

"I will," Jackie said as-a-matter-of-factly. How hard could it really be, she wondered? She'd been told many times that she was a great kisser (even though it was mostly Kelso who told her). So if she was a great kisser, she would ace this test. She took a cherry and pulled off the stem. Then she stuck it in her mouth daintily.

After a couple of minutes, she began to understand why her boyfriend wasn't able to do it.

Hyde snickered as he started to realize that she couldn't do it, either. Jackie turned her head to face him, her cheeks hot with anger.

This only made her all the more determined to achieve this victory. She _would _tie this cherry stem into a knot.

She half considered taking it out of her mouth and just tying it with her hands while Hyde wasn't looking, but she knew that was much easier said than done. Hyde always seemed to know when she had a trick up her sleeve. Maybe she'd wait till he left the room… or maybe she'd send him on some stupid errand…

When she was about to open her mouth and ask him to get her a glass of water, he spoke.

"Not so easy, huh," Hyde said with a smug smile. Jackie shook her head.

"This is a piece of cake," she said smoothly. "I'm just… I just want to… err… make it last." She rolled her eyes at her own lame excuse. She was out of practice since school was out and she no longer had to explain to her teachers why she needed an extension on her homework.

Hyde shrugged his shoulders and turned back to face the TV (even though it was off).

Jackie decided not to cheat. This was about more than just proving Hyde wrong… it was about proving to herself that she was actually a good kisser.

It was important to her. If she wasn't a good kisser… it was like she only had half of the deal. She had the looks, but not the kissing skills. The looks were important when finding a date, and the skills were important when actually on the date.

When a few more minutes passed and she still couldn't reach her goal, she began to worry. She wanted Hyde to stay with her… What if he got bored with her lame kissing skills and dumped her?

Jackie knew she would simply die if Hyde ever left her. She loved him, and she knew that. She couldn't be without him.

"Give up, Jacks," Hyde said. She sighed as she spit out the cherry stem.

"I guess I'm a… bad kisser," she replied, struggling on the words 'bad kisser'. Hyde shook his head.

"Do you honestly believe that whole stupid thing?" he asked in disbelief. And then he realized that she probably _did _believe it… this was Jackie they were talking about. Shallow, vain Jackie.

And yet, the Jackie he loved (although he'd never admit it out loud).

"How can you even stand to kiss me?" Jackie asked. "What am I going to do? … Oh my gosh I'll have to become a nun!" She jumped to her feet.

"Jackie-,"

"A nun, Steven!" Jackie cried.

"Jackie!" Hyde interrupted, wrapping his arms around Jackie's tiny waist and pulling her back down on the couch. "Don't worry," he laughed. "Cause' apparently I'm a bad kisser, too." When he failed to get a laugh from Jackie, he decided to try to be more serious. "Think about it. Am I really a bad kisser?" There was a silence as Jackie pondered it. "Would you have kissed me while we were watching the Price is Right if I was a bad kisser?"

"No," Jackie said slowly. "You're a great kisser."

Hyde nodded in a Zen-like fashion.

"Exactly."

There was a short silence while Jackie realized what Hyde meant.

"Oh," she said, nodding as she figured it out.

"Like I said before, I don't need to perform circus tricks to prove my kissing ability. I mean, some loser who could tie a cherry stem with his mouth probably made that up to get a date."

"You're right," Jackie said as she popped another cherry into her mouth, spitting the pit into a napkin.

"Yep," Hyde said. He put his arm around her once again.

"Steven," Jackie said quietly. He turned his head to face her. "Am I a good kisser?"

Hyde grinned mischievously.

"I don't know," he said. "I may need a reminder."

Giggling, Jackie wrapped her arms around his neck and he kissed her passionately.

They pulled away for half a second.

"Hell yeah," Hyde said, answering her question. "Like I said before; the _true _test lies within the actual kissing," he whispered, and then he leaned in to kiss her again.


End file.
